Baton Rouge top-ranked large city in Leading Markets Index

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Baton Rouge continues to top national housing activity index; New Orleans, Lafayette score high, too

BY TIMOTHY BOONE| TBOONE@THEADVOCATE.COM


Baton Rouge continues to top an index that measures how housing and economic activity in a city compares with normal historical levels.

Baton Rouge was at 1.39 in the National Association of Home Builders/First American Leading Markets Index for the third quarter, meaning that the local market is 39 percent better than normal levels. That’s based on single-family home permits, house price appreciation information and employment data over the past 12 months.

Lafayette was ranked as the 10th-best small city, with an LMI index of 1.24. Midland, Texas, was the top small city, with an index of 2.31.

New Orleans was tied with Charleston, South Carolina, for the ninth spot on the large market list, with an index of 1, meaning that housing activity is right at historic levels.

All other Louisiana cities included in the index had an LMI of more than 1.

The NAHB said the national average is 0.90, meaning that economic activity is just 90 percent of historic levels.

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